Heart of My Monster (Monster Trilogy, #3)

by Rina Kent

She inserts as much venom as possible in her words, but it so...

“I might...

I say with a fak...

“Good. Less evil in t...

“Will you cry for me ...

“...

She lifts he...

“In fact, I might ce...

“You look adorable when you say things yo...

I touch her cheek with the backs of two of my fingers, and she freezes. I freeze, too, as a rush of chaotic emotions stabs me in the chest. It’s a mere touch, but it’s enough to kill all the dark thoughts I had after I saw her fake corpse. For the first time in months, I breathe fresh air. For the first time in months, I feel everything. She’s here. She’s mine again—even if she’d argue otherwise. Her wide eyes fill with fire, and she slaps my hand away. The gesture stings more than the hit itself. If it were any other...

“Don’t tou...

Her voice drips with...

“You’re awfully terrified of my touching you. Have y...

Sasha turns into stone as she stares up at Kristina, who’s slowly taking the stairs down. Huh. I was about to collapse a minute ago, but I think I’ll stick around and watch this show unfold in real time. Sasha pretends she doesn’t want me, but the look in her eyes says she wants to strangle Kristina to death. My wife can lie all she wants, but I’ll bring her back.

Anna reaches into her apron pocket and retrieves a key. “This is for Kirill’s master bedroom. He’s kept it locked for two months and only gave me the key so I could oversee the cleaning.” He…kept his room closed for two months? She places the key on top of the clothes. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but he better not turn back into whatever bloodthirsty demon he was after you left.”

“What…do you mean?”

“For the first month, he came home soaked with blood. Every single night. Viktor said he was looking for the one responsible for your death and that he was even killing anyone who proved to be useless in his search. Every night, he’d stop in front of his room, touch the door, and then go to his new room. Every night, I had to throw away bloodied clothes because there was no way of salvaging them.” My fingers tighten around the clothes. On one hand, Anna has no reason to lie. In fact, she’s honest to the point of being blunt and doesn’t stoop to lying. But on the other hand, I can’t possibly trust Kirill again. Maybe he did t...

“I don’t think I can control Kirill’s mood ...

“You’re the only one who can, you naïve child.” I try not to be affected by t...

“Welcome back, Sasha.” She pats my shoulder. “Both the house and Kirill were unbearably grim without you.” My chest swells, and I resist the urge to blurt something stupid like, ‘Really?’

I storm to the bathroom, take off my clothes, and go into the shower. As I stand beneath the stream of water, images of other activities I did in this same shower slip into my mind, and I have to close my eyes. But that doesn’t stop the erotic pictures from playing again and again, as if taunting my sexually frustrated body. With a groan, I turn off the handle, hastily dry myself, and put on the new underwear Kristina gave me, moaning out loud when I accidentally rub my nails on a hard nipple.

With another yawn, I lie on the bed and close my eyes. I’ll just rest for a minute, and then I’ll look for my brother. Only a minute… A strong arm wraps around me, and warmth spoons me from behind. It’s a nightmare, I realize. No, a dream. The presence behind me doesn’t feel threatening in the least. In fact, I lean into his touch, a soft moan leaving my lips.

But then the supposedly dream-like Kirill slips what feels like a ring on my finger and whispers in my ear,

“Welcome home, Solnyshko.”

A heavy weight rests on my middle. Instead of being a burden, it’s actually comforting. I nuzzle my nose against the pillow, and my nostrils flood with the forbidden scent of deep forest and cedar.

Warmth engulfs my body and spreads to my chest and core, so I inch over farther, needing more. My movements pause when something hard nudges my stomach, poking me through my clothes.

“Mmm.”

The rumble of a very familiar deep voice causes my eyes to pop open. Please tell me this is my imagination⁠— No. Nope. It’s definitely real. I’m actually trapped in Kirill’s embrace, my face resting on his neck until I can almost taste his shower gel on my tongue. I realize with horror that this is what I’ve been smelling since I woke up. Our fronts are glued togethe...

He sits up, and the covers drop to below his navel, revealing the defined V-line that leads to⁠— I snap my attention back to his face and purse my lips when I find him smirking.

“Morning, wife. Did you sleep well?”

“No, I di...

Oh, wait. I actually did. My lips part. I didn’t have any nightmares last night. Or dreams. I had nothing. For the first time in a very long time...

“Is it the ma...

He presses down on it, then on...

“The pillow? The bed...

“More like the one in...

I mutter under my...

“That’s your defense mechanism speaking, but that’s f...

“Wait for...

“For the day you become my w...

“I was never your wife...

“Yes, you are. You said ‘I do’ and took my cock like a very good wife that same night. Besides, I have a mar...

“That doesn’t count since we’re getti...

His permanent smirk disappears, but his expression remains light, playful even, but i...

“Until then, you’re still...

“Relucta...

“Lega...

I lift my...

“Tempora...

“Curre...